


Wooly Socks and Warm Nights

by abigail89



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Romantic Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2013-03-03
Packaged: 2017-12-04 03:34:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/706048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abigail89/pseuds/abigail89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the "Hot and Cold" Challenge, July 2011</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wooly Socks and Warm Nights

Jim rings the entry chime to Leonard's room. He waits, then rings again. Finally, he hears a faint, "Enter."

The lock releases and Jim enters to find his new best friend huddled on his bed, wrapped in what appears to be not one, but two blankets.

Jim automatically says, "Computer, display environmental settings."

"The temperature is 25.5 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity is 39 percent."

"Computer, adjust temperature to 30 Celsius."

"The temperature is set at the maximum rated for this building."

Jim looks at Leonard McCoy, late resident of central Georgia, scowling at him. "What kind of hell hole is this? Starfleet too cheap to adequately heat their dorm rooms?" He picks up a steaming cup of coffee from the bedside table and sips at it.

"Cripes, Bones," Jim says, taking off his light-weight jacket. "It's only October. I can't imagine what you're gonna be like in February."

That elicits a visible shudder. "Think I'll go to an online status for my classes. Maybe have the clinic set up one of those robot-thingees so that I can diagnose from here."

Whoa. Things must be serious if Bones is talking about using technology instead of hands-on medicine. Jim goes to the replicator. "Computer, wool socks, size 47; thermal undershirt, medium weight, size large."

The computer takes a few minutes and then the items Jim orders appear. "Bones, you can't hide out here for the next six months. What you need is a strategy to insulate yourself against the cold." He hands him the socks and undershirt. "Layering, Bones. It's how every child raised in snowy places is taught to dress to survive. I went to school in sub-zero temperatures with ten feet of snow on the ground."

Leonard unwraps himself from the blanket and takes the silky shirt; he pulls the sweatshirt up and off, giving Jim a nice view of well-muscled arms and chest. "Can't see how something this light-weight is gonna keep me warm," Leonard grumbles as he shakes on the shirt. "It's--oh. This is really warm." He pulls off cotton socks and puts on the woolen ones. "Never needed wool socks where I grew up."

Jim laughs as he pushed the blankets off of Leonard. "Layering keeps your body heat from escaping, and good fibers help."

"Hmm. Maybe."

"Of course," Jim says, as Leonard scoots over to make room for Jim to sit beside him on the bed, "there are other ways to make heat and stay warm." 

Leonard rolls his eyes at the lascivious grin Jim gives him. "Riiight. No, Jim, you can't move in here with me."

"Aw, Bones." Jim lays his head on Leonard's shoulder. "I can be your personal heater, your very own hot water bottle."

"Thought that's why you gave me the thermal shirt, so I could keep warm all by myself." Despite his protest, Leonard wriggles closer to Jim's incredible heat, and puts his arm around him.

"What fun is that?" Jim snuggles close, and yawns.

Leonard tries to stay awake, but between the late hour and his sleeping bed-mate, he slides them both under the blankets. "Maybe it would be fun," he murmurs as he slips into sleep in his toasty warm bed.


End file.
